Roasty Toasty Princess
by An Actual Lion
Summary: AU where Kiara meets Nuka instead of Kovu while the Outlanders are trying to set the fire. Nuka/Kiara (Nukiara?)
1. Prologue

The sun was long gone and the moon in its prime, illuminating the night with its glow. Shining into the massive den and onto triplet cubs that were just settling down to sleep with their mother. The older two wrestled with each other while the youngest laid in his mother's arms like a small child as she groomed the tiny tuft of fur on his noggin.

"Boys, that's enough now, it's time for bed!" Their mother called, her two older sons rolling around on top of each other, pulling each other's ears and tails. "If you aren't careful you'll hurt yourselves!" She scolded, giving the boys a stern look.

The cubs stopped, one with his brother's ear in his maw and the other with his brother's tail. They fell apart from each other and shuffled over to settle next to their mother, who insisted on grooming their pelts before they slept, much to their disappointment.

The youngest, already groomed and settled, looked to their mother and asked, "Mom can you tell us about dad?" His wide eyes glowing in the night, showing eagerness and hope that she would comply. His brothers agreed and asked her repeatedly as well in not so hushed voices.

"Shhhhhh…" The lioness hushed her cubs, noticing some of the other pridemembers stirring in their sleep. "Of course, but only if you remain quiet while I do. I don't want you disturbing everyone else." She smiled and ruffled her eldest's tuft of fur with a gentle paw. "Now let me see… hmmmm, where should I start?" She mused, tapping a paw to her maw in thought.

The youngest cub whisper shouted with obvious intensity, "The beginning, the beginning!" With his brother nodding in agreement, staring at the lioness with focused gazes, eager for the tale to begin.

"Alright alright." Their mother agreed, smiling ear to ear, "I was out on my first hunt…."


	2. The Fire

"Roasty toasty princess, roasty toasty princess!" Nuka sung to himself, dragging the flaming branch across the dry grass, igniting it with utter glee. Dropping the torch, he hopped up and down in excitement, mesmerized by the burning plains. "Hey is it hot in here or is it just me?" He asked himself, unaware that he was surrounded by flames.

Kiara stalked the tall blades of grass, frustration clear on her maw, when she heard a rather shrill voice exclaiming, "FIRE! AAAAAAAIIIIE!" Sure enough, there was the sharp tang of smoke in the wind, and a red glow coming from the hills. A sharp thud followed the scream, inciting curiosity in the golden princess.

Nuka, now safe from his fiery creation, sat down to admire his work with a chuckle. But the sharp crack of a twig breaking broke his attention and he turned his gaze to the patch of tall, untorched grass where the sound had come from. He narrowed his eyes and noticed the twitching tail for only a second before Kiara burst from the grass and barreled into him.

"What are you doing?" She growled, claws digging into the dry earth. "That fire is going to spread EVERYWHERE!" Her tone was laced with fury but also fear for all that would burn as a result of this stunt.

The outlander stuttered, he had never actually considered that he would be caught, especially by the plan's target! "Um um um, I…" He tried to articulate complete sentences but couldn't find a believable explanation for his apparent arson. "Th-there was a uh.."

"A what? What could possibly be dangerous enough to set a fire?!" Kiara's muzzle crinkled with a snarl, red eyes narrowed and filled with rage and confusion.

Before the conversation could continue, the crackling of the ever growing flame alerted the two to the imminent danger approaching them at an alarming rate. The red wave rushed towards them, engulfing the savannah!

Her anger turning quickly into overwhelming terror, Kiara exclaimed, "RUN!" And took off sprinting. Nuka, without any other thought, cried out in fear and followed the fleeing lioness, tail between his legs.

Hurling themselves over crumbling logs and rocks, racing against the overhead smoke, the two began to slow down as their lungs filled with the smog. Eventually, Nuka's limbs began to feel more and more like boulders, and his eyelids began to flutter shut. After a few more feeble strides, he collapsed to the ground, skidding along the dirt.

Kiara halted, turning around to see the stranger passed out behind her. Coughing violently, she forced herself to turn around, deeper into the thick smoke. She prodded the lion, urging him to rise, but she was unsuccessful. Well aware that time was quickly running out, Kiara held her breath and forced the scrawny outlander on her own back, hauling him away from the approaching flames. Huffing and puffing heavily, only inhaling more smoke and she struggled to carry him and herself to safety, Kiara began to feel her own paws begin to fail her. Looking around wildly, assessing all her possibly options, she spotted the edge of a cliff. All other paths were riddled with flame, crimson tongues beckoning her into their embrace. In a last attempt at desperation, Kiara darted to the cliff's edge and took a leap of faith, tumbling over the edge with the stranger.

Luck was on her side that day, and the two landed in deep water. Kiara resurfaced immediately, suddenly panicking when she didn't see the stranger. But relief flooded over her when he emerged from the dark water coughing and flailing around.

"What's going on? It was hot and now it's cold! Cold, cold, cold!" Nuka shrieked, paddling his way to the shore rather clumsily. Sputtering and coughing up copious amount of water as he reached the land, Nuka laid down on the damp mud, trying to catch his breath.

Kiara followed suit, in a slightly more graceful manner. She glared at him, expecting a thank you sooner rather than later. "Hey!" She poked him in a harsh manner. "Do you realize what just happened? All the animals who won't make it out like we did! Like you almost didn't?" Her voice was hoarse from her constant coughing and smoke inhalation.

Nuka flinched at the harshness in her words, they reminded him all too much of another lioness's fury. His mother would be enraged when she found out the plan was unsuccessful because of him. The months of spying and planning gone to waste. "I…." He started, but couldn't find an excuse. He could only stare blankly at the furious princess and anticipate how much more angry his mother would be when she found out.

"You what?" Kiara insisted, growing tired of this conversation that was going nowhere. With an exasperated sigh, Kiara turned away from him and sat down in the mud, taking in more of the clean air, appreciating it now more than ever. Looking back at the clearly frightened lion just a few feet away from her, her gaze softened and she felt sadness more than anger. She saw no malice or ill intent in his eyes now, only fear, and she felt like there was no more point in yelling at him anymore. Especially since he already seemed to grasp the severity in her a calmer tone, she introduced herself, "I'm Kiara, from the Pridelands."

"I'm Nuka…." He answered, unsure how to process the non hostile approach from Kiara. Still, he knew it was important to keep up the façade that he wasn't already aware of who she was. "I'm from… nowhere…"

Taking another deep breath, Kiara sat closer to Nuka, dropping her guarded stance a bit and sitting down in a relaxed position. Nuka glanced up at her with confused eyes, he wasn't used to this kind of mood swing in others. Usually he experienced neutrality or anger. But Kiara was acting like she was neither. Maybe even… nice?

The sky was a dark red and filled with ash and smoke, the distant crackling reminding the both of them that the flames were still going strong. Kiara perked her ears and returned her gaze to the sullen Nuka, "You should be heading back to wherever your pride is, if you have one." She suggested kindly, prodding him gently this time around. "You'll need a lot of rest to recover after today, and I need to get back to Pride Rock before my father has a heart attack." She grumbled to herself, kicking a stray pebble.

The princess stood to her shaky feet, the toll of their escape apparent in her exhaustion. Nuka looked at his own paws, flexing and unflexing his claws in thought. "Okay…" He mumbled, pinning his ears against his head. A heavy, rock like feeling settled in his belly. Regret? Guilt? He knew this feeling well, but what was its cause? His failure? He couldn't help looking at the limping Kiara and thinking maybe it was something else.

A booming voice in the distance rang, "Kiara? Kiara!" Startling the both of them.

Kiara turned round to Nuka and spoke with urgency. "That's my father, you should really go, now! He won't be very kind in this mood, I can already tell!" She warned him, gesturing for him to get going quickly before Simba arrived.

Jolting up onto his feet, Nuka knew that Simba would recognize him the second he laid eyes on him. And he, along with all the other Outsiders, knew all too well the penalty for trespassing on the pridelands. Without a second thought, he ducked into the brushes, in the opposite direction of the King's shouts. Once he was under cover, he looked back once more before he bolted over the border and into the jaws of his certainly enraged mother and pride. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn she had smiled at him.


	3. Mother's Anger

**Hey guys! I wasn't expecting to continue this story at all but it seems like people are really interested in what happens next, so I'll try to continue it! I'm not the strongest writer and I have a lot of other obligations like school and work and all that jazz. So, I can't update the story on a fairly regular basis, especially since I have other stuff I want to write too, but I'll try to make sure I post chapters.**

Downtrodden and terrified, Nuka made his way back to the Outlands with a slow gait. He could only imagine the punishments his mother would inflict upon him for his foolishness. Nuka the fool, it was like he had been branded that at birth. He might as well have been, according to his so called father, the oh so beloved King Scar. "I was his son…." Nuka grumbled, a mantra he repeated to himself on a regular basis, usually accompanied with some slurs aimed at Kovu. "I could have been good enough."

"NUKA!" The harsh voice of his sister snapped him out of his trance and back into the terrifying reality of the situation. Vitani stalked towards him, anger and confusion in her eyes. "Where were you?! I couldn't find you after we started the fire!" She snarled, pinning her ears to the back of her neck as she glared at him. "Do you have any idea how furious mother is? The plan failed, Kovu couldn't locate Kiara in time before her wretched father caught up to her!"

"O-oh…." Nuka mumbled, frozen with fear. His mother already knew about the plan's failure. And just like any other failure, it would all be placed on his shoulders. And probably followed by the beating of a lifetime. "Do they know why?" He asked, hopeful that there was a chance they were unaware of the events that had transpired between him and Kiara after the fire began.

To his relief, Vitani shook her head. "No, none of us have a clue!" She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Why, do you know why the plan went sour?" She asked, suspicion in her voice.

He twitched awkwardly at the question, racking his brain for a good excuse. "No, no I don't. Maybe she went back home earlier than we thought she would?" He suggested, smiling to hide his deception. "The princess is obviously too stupid to catch anything on her own, maybe she figured it out!" He said, nervously giggling. He felt bad saying it, since she had saved him from a firey demise, but he was more afraid of the punishment he would receive if he was found at fault.

His sister eyed him up down, doubt on her face. But she simply rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated "Ugh!" And turned away from him. "Whatever, Mother is waiting back home, and she's _not_ happy, so watch yourself." She advised. Vitani knew all too well how violent Zira could get with her eldest son, and the last thing she wanted for him was another beating.

"We have been planning this for _months_, Kovu! Months! How could you not find her?" Nuka flinched at the familiar sound of his mother's angry shouts. Though it was surprising to hear them aimed at her oh so precious chosen one for once. "She's not exactly skilled in the art of stealth!" Zira snarled, smacking a brittle termite mound.

Kovu shook his head in frustration. "I don't _know_, okay? It was dark and ashy and I couldn't-"

"Couldn't what Kovu? Couldn't what?" Zira roared, shoving her bared teeth in Kovu's face. "The Fire Rescue idea was _your_ idea! Are you telling me you couldn't execute a plan that you came up with? Unacceptable Kovu, unacceptable!"

Vitani and Nuka stepped lightly towards their mother, keeping their gaze low to avoid eye contact with her. If their mother was furious enough to be screaming at Kovu, then Vitani and Nuka were at even more risk than usual, Nuka especially. Darting his eyes up only slightly, Nuka's frown deepened. His mother, his _mother_, couldn't give a damn about him and for what? The disapproval of a dead king? His father, if Nuka could even call him that! You'd think a rejected cub would have been more careful to not put his children in the same position. How ironic.

Zira, turning her attention away from Kovu for a moment, noticed her other two cubs slinking by her. Fixating her gaze on Nuka, she snarled deeply and loudly, rushing up to him with her claws extended and teeth bared. "You!" She hissed, making Nuka sink to the ground in fear. "This is your doing isn't it? You were always jealous of Kovu, you probably sabotaged the plan on purpo-"

"Nuka didn't do anything, he was with me the whole time!"Vitani interjected, standing tall. Nuka looked up at his sister with a confused stare, she was clearly lying. Nuka had been nowhere near her during the majority of the fire. "It was just dumb bad luck mother, no one is at fault here!" She insisted, keeping direct eye contact with the Outland leader.

Returning her gaze to Nuka one last time, he averted his eyes away from her, Zira grumbled low in her throat before returning her attention back to Kovu. "You had better think of a good way to make up for this, or else I'll take it into my own paws!" She spat at him, bits of saliva hitting his muzzle, before she stalked her way back to the large hollow hill they called their den.

There was a silence that hung in the air. Vitani and Kovu looked at each other with confused and shamed eyes, while Nuka couldn't bear to look at either of them. He knew the failure was his doing, intentional or not. It was he who had invoked Zira's wrath, and that knowledge hurt more than her claws. A pain he knew all too well. A pain he was spared from today thanks to his sister, something she often did for her brother.

It appeared that Kovu was hit hardest of the three from his utterly defeated expression. His head hung low and his mane covered his eyes. Nuka was never a fan of his, he didn't even consider him his brother in all honesty. But he had to feel a twinge of regret in this particular situation. Zira's anger is a hard thing for one to deal with, especially on a regular basis as Nuka does. But Kovu rarely experienced such hatefulness from her. She was his golden boy, her last connection, in her eyes, to Scar. Kovu knew only her praise and plans for his greatness. The blow of her words would leave him aching for a long while after today.

"I'm going to bed." Kovu said curtly, his voice cracking slightly and hinting at the possibility of tears. The dark lion lumbered off away from the den, obviously unwilling to face his mother so soon after her episode. Vitani follow him, leaving Nuka alone as the sun began to set.

The wind began to blow cold, and Nuka shivered. He looked to the den, where his mother was surely pacing back and forth in her rage as she often did. He knew that he would be welcome in the den tonight, even after Vitani had managed to convince their mother that he was not at fault. Nuka was not in the mood for becoming an outlet for the angry matriarch. So instead he settled himself down near the entrance, trying to find a divet where the harsh wind could not bother him nearly as much. Tears began to well up in his own eyes. He buried his face in his paws and laid his ears flat against his head. He felt alone. He _was _alone. And it was his own fault. If he had been better for his mother, this wouldn't have happened. Maybe his father was right about him from the beginning.

His mother had never told him of the day he was born, but he had overheard the tale from the other lionesses. He was born scrawny, and weak. He couldn't even lift his bulbous head they said. But Zira loved him, at first. She doted on him they said. Told him he was precious they said. But after his father, Scar, looked at him… After he denied that Nuka was even his son, accused Zira of adultery, for he could not be of his blood. And after the King left, Zira refused to nurse him, to care for him, denied him anything when earlier she would have given him everything. Nuka would never admit it to anyone, but he hated his father. He always had and always would.

But he loved his mother. Despite everything she had called him, said to him, _done _to him. He loved her. Zira had loved him once, Nuka kept the hope that one day she would love him again.


	4. Confined

**Hey guys! Thank you for your feedback and comments, I love hearing your thoughts on the story! It gives me motivation to write more, so I try to respond to each review . **

** Note: Sabini is actually a semi canon character that makes an appearance in Vulture Shock. Here is a link to a wiki page about her wiki/Sabini if you are interested in what she looks like.**

** I updated this story with a prologue before I posted this chapter today. I felt like now that it's a multi chapter tale it needed one, so give it a look and a review when you have the chance, I think it's a good opening albeit short.**

** I give updates on which stories I'm writing as well as other things like character analysis and meta, and an abundance of other things on my Lion King tumblr the— .com if you want to follow me on there!**

Kiara, head low and slumped over as she sat in the pride's den, watched as her father paced back and forth in front of her incessantly. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she listened to Simba's ranting, as this was not a new or strange occurrence with her father. Honestly Kiara believed that she would stub her paw and her father would banish all boulders to the Outlands as well. But she would never say it out loud to anyone, especially her father.

"This is my fault, I should have sent a chaperone with you! Someone better than Timon and Pumbaa, what was I thinking?!" He growled, claws extended and clacking against the rock of the den floor. Nala sat beside her daughter, with a similar expression to her daughter's. Timon and Pumbaa sat on the other end of the cave, with their heads low and shame in their faces. "If anyone should be blamed for this it's me, if it weren't for my lack of foresight none of this would have happened!" Simba's voice was a deep and angry growl.

Kiara spoke up, voice still hoarse from the smoke. "Daddy please, I'm okay and so is everyone else! Nothing bad happened!" She was frustrated beyond belief, knowing that she had made it out of the fire on her own and that deserved some recognition. But instead she felt that her father saw her as a young cub still, barely able to walk. "I saved myself!"

The king stopped his pacing and faced his daughter, expression changing from anger to something else that Kiara couldn't identify, a tear falling down his cheek. He rushed towards Kiara and embraced her tightly. "I almost lost you today, when I saw the fire I…." He stopped speaking, his voice beginning to crack as he hugged her tighter.

"I know Daddy, I'm sorry…." Kiara sighed, hugging her father back. "But everything is okay, that's what matters, right?" She asked, hoping that her reassurance would prevent her father from spiraling any further.

But Simba shook his head with a stern expression. "Absolutely not! Everything is most certainly not okay! You almost died today because I wasn't careful enough, and I'm not letting that happen again. Until the Dry Season passes and there's no more danger of a flash fire, you will stay here at Pride Rock, and only leave with a chaperone of my choosing if you must." The King said, voice unwavering.

The Princess sat slack jawed, horror on her face. She followed after Simba with an uneasy gait. "What? Your grounding me? But I didn't do anything wrong!" She insisted, furious that after escaping death she was met with punishment. Kiara turned to Nala in hopes for her support. "Mom please, you have to tell him how ridiculous this is!"

But the Queen shook her head. "I'm sorry Kiara, but your father is right. You haven't lived through very many dry seasons before, so I know you aren't as aware of the dangers as we are so I understand where you're coming from. But flash fires are all too common during these times, and you are too inexperienced to go off on your own with such risks." Nala tried to explain gently. But Kiara had none of it.

After months of practice and preparation and excitement, Kiara felt like it was all a waste. That this was just one of the many excuses her father would give to keep her confined to Pride Rock for the rest of her life it felt like. In Kiara's mind, her father would never see her as capable, as an adult. Ever. And this was like falling into cold water. Awful, and chilling to the bone.

"Whatever!" Kiara spat, rushing away from her parents to a secluded area of the den. Anger hung in her chest, burning like the smoke that had burned her lungs during the fire. It pained her feeling like this, like she would never be allowed to prove herself and become a full member of the pride. Kiara didn't even want to understand why her father rationalized cooping her up like this anymore, she had it explained to her time and time again since she was a cub. She didn't want to hear it anymore, it all sounded like excuses. Her father loved her but he did not believe in her. And that was what hurt her the most.

Kiara obeyed her father's rule the rest of that day. For hours she spent in solitude in the den, refusing to speak to anyone, especially her father, who tried several times to approach her. If Kiara had turned around, which she refused, she would have seen the hurt inflicted on his face as well. Eventually, no one came to see her.

The sun set slowly, according to Kiara. She holed herself up until she noticed the rest of the pride pouring into the den, obviously settling down for the night. Excitement overcame Kiara, it was almost time! She had spent the hours planning her escapade that night. Tonight she would prove to everyone, to Simba, that she could take care of herself. She kept an eye on the pride, watching for any members that might still be sleep before began to tiptoe her way around the sleeping huddle. Snores all but shook the den, mostly her father's. Kiara rolled her eyes at the giant orange form slumbering on the rock in defiance before continuing onward.

When she made out of the cave and out into the night, Kiara became just a bit careless, thinking she was home free. But her back paw kicked a rock, making the smallest clacking noise, alerting but one member of the pride.

"Kiara!" The hushed voice of Sabini hissed at the escapee. "What on earth are you doing? It's the middle of the night!" The lioness was only slightly older than Kiara, but they had grown up together. She was the only one able to keep up with the energetic cub when she was younger, and Sabini wasn't surprised that Kiara was pulling a stunt like this. "Aren't you supposed to stay in the den?" She scolded, pinning her ears behind her head.

"Sabini! Um, uh…." Kiara recoiled at the sudden appearance of her cubhood friend. One short alarm and Simba would be outside dragging Kiara back into the den potentially for good. And then the King really would have a reason to ground her. She darted her eyes from side to side, trying to think of a good excuse as to why she was sneaking out of Pride Rock so late at night. "Look, you gotta just let me do this one thing okay? I have to prove I can do it!" Kiara pleaded, widening her eyes.

Sabini tilted her head in confusion, unsure what exactly Kiara was asking her. "Do what? What are you asking me to let you do?" She whispered, checking behind her shoulder to make sure that no one else had followed them out of the den.

With a frustrated grumble Kiara said, "Hunting! I have to prove I can do this on my own, without any help!" Her tone was begging now. "Unless I sneak out, I'll never get the chance, Sabini…" She trailed off, genuine fear in her voice that she would be caught.

"Kiara I…" Sabini dipped her head and shook it, looking back for a second at the slumbering pride. Sighing heavily she whispered, "Be back before dawn, I won't cover for you after then, do you understand? Prey or not!" The lioness held a stern, but kind expression. "And remember, don't kick rocks and twigs with your back paws, I know that's a bad habit of yours." Sabini smiled at the young princess, giving her the go ahead with a curt head nod.

Smiling widely, Kiara nodded back, rushing up to her friend to give her a quick head rub before darting down the stone steps and into the fields. Sabini watched Kiara until the golden princess disappeared into the grass, and into the night.


	5. Return

**Ah, oh my gosh! I'm really happy for the reviews and follows and favorites from everybody and want to thank everybody! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this next chapter, this story is turning out to be a lot longer than I originally thought, so the ride isn't even close to being over.**

**I have recently started my Spring semester of college so I'll also be busy with school, and I spend a lot of my free time playing video games too! So, the updates might be getting slower and slower but I am still working on stories I promise. **

It was the wee hours of the morning when Nuka got up. The sun wasn't yet awake, and small critters trying to gather food before their predators awoke skittered all about the ground, chirping and squeaking in communication with one another. The scrawny lion scratched behind his over-sized ears and on his mane, cursing the fleas and termites that plagued him day in and day out. The insects bites by now had begun to sting and itch at the same time, never giving him any relief from their torment. Some areas, especially behind his ears, had begun to bleed from the incessant scratching and biting.

"Mother likes field mice, if I catch her some maybe…" Nuka stopped mid-sentence, swallowing hard as he remembered the previous day's events. "Maybe it will cheer her up…." He mused hopefully, knowing deep in his hear that his mother wouldn't be happy to see anything or anyone, especially him and a few skinny mice. Old bruises ached with the memories of the past few times she had been less than happy with his presence.

The sounds of crickets singing to one another was a calming tune. It made Nuka forget the worries of his mother and his pride. He almost forgot why he got up so early each morning he became so lost in the songs and melodies chirping all around him. But he was focused today. The more mice he brought to Zira, the less angry she'd be, or at least that's how he rationalized the situation. Nuka had become incredibly skilled at stalking the small rodents that hid themselves in the sparse grasses of the Outland prison his pride was confined to until they, surely, died of something or another. Disease, dehydration. Starvation. All were such great possibilities. It was quite a disheartening thought. One that plagued Nuka often. Along with the doubts that hung heavy in his chest when the pride spoke of Zira's plan to have Kovu ascend to the throne after killing Simba, the accursed murderer King. The amount of things that could go wrong often appeared in Nuka's thoughts. But the would be prince had to shake it from his mind, and focus on whatever task he had at hand. It kept him distracted from the doom they all were forced to face at some point or another.

Many of the field mice, he found, were already in their burrows. It was as if something else had already spooked the lot of them. Nuka grimaced at the discovery, knowing that the ideal time for his hunt was soon to pass, and he would have to return home soon if he did not make any progress. The very thought of coming back empty pawed made him shudder with fear. Twitching and turning his ears to scan the area for any foreign noise, the outlander picked up on the sound of twigs snapping and a voice cursing themselves. An intruder, in the Outlands? Whoever was dumb enough to think this place was good enough to invade was surely a moron!

Following the noise, Nuka angrily made his way over to a patch of tall brush where the source seemed to be. "Well, well! What have we he-" Nuka pushed the grass aside, expecting to find.. well, anything but what he did. The princess Kiara was crouched in front of him in what he supposed was supposed to be a hunting stance. But her form was entirely off, all her weight on her paws. He was certain it was she who was scaring off his mother's potential breakfast. "What are you doing here?" He shrieked, panic in his tone.

"Um, I was just…" Kiara started, obviously not recognizing him at first. "Wait a minute…" She grumbled suspiciously, narrowing her eyes as she looked him up and down. "You were the lion from the fire! What are _you _doing here?!" She asked, looking from side to side. It slowly began to sink in where she was, recognizing the land from her previous escapade as a cub. Kiara turned back to Nuka in shock, and slight anger. "Are you an Outlander?" She asked, jaw agape.

Nuka, flattening his ears, shrunk lower to the ground, flinching as if Kiara were to hit him as so many others usually did in these situations. He stumbled over his words, throat growing drier and drier the more Kiara stared at him. "Y..Yes?" He finally choked out, remembering that she was under the impression he was a rogue from nowhere. But nowhere in his mind could he find an excuse for his current pickle, so he decided to tell the truth of his affiliations. "But, you have to understand, if I told you-"

"I wouldn't have done anything! You ended up in the Pridelands through my doing, remember?" Kiara pointed out, her brow furrowed and chin sticking out. But after a period of tense silence between the two, Kiara hung her head and sighed. Softening her expression into a more understanding one she continued, "Look, I get it y'know."

Nuka darted his eyes from side to side, confused at her statement. What did she get? Why he lied, what he was doing in her father's lands? Oh Great Spirit had she figured out what she was doing in her father's lands?! "Uh, get what?" He asked shakily, trying to keep his voice steady to no avail.

"Why you lied about your pride, and where you were from. I get it. How could you have known I wouldn't have done anything…" Kiara shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped, and I'm sorry I… Kind of ended up in your family's territory…" The princess shrunk with embarrassment as it sunk in that she was also technically trespassing. "Let me go and we call it even?" She asked with a hopeful smile, nervousness behind her grin.

He had to seriously consider his decision before answering her. Nuka could potentially bring her back to his pride, making his mother happier than any amount of field mice really could. It would even show up his little termite of a brother, Kovu. He would succeed in something the oh so special chosen one had not. But Nuka, looking at Kiara's obviously healthier state, he came to the conclusion that it was a serious risk attempting to drag her all the way back to Zira. And they weren't very far from the border, her pride, her father, would surely hear any cries for help she would surely omit during the process. Putting the whole plan and pride in jeopardy.

Exhaling deeply, Nuka responded with, "Yeah, I'll call it even. But, what are you doing out here? Isn't it too early for you? Don't lionesses usually need their 'beauty sleep' or whatever?" He asked, tilting his head with a curious gaze, one ear sticking up oddly more than the other.

Surprisingly so, it earned a giggle from Kiara, an unexpected reaction by far. "No not really. I can take as long of naps as I could ever really want back home." After the mention of Pride Rock, Kiara became all too aware of the rapidly rising sun. It was nearly dawn and she hadn't returned yet. Sabini would not be able to cover for her if she was late that morning, and her father would have her tail in a heartbeat if he found out! "I need to go! Thank you, Nuka!" She whispered, bounding off in the direction of the Pridelands.

She was far beyond his sight before Nuka could say goodbye to her, much to his odd regret. Even more surprising was the fact that she had remembered his name. He was sure she had forgotten by now, he had only mentioned it once. Either she had an excellent memory, which she obviously wasn't demonstrating when she wandered into the Outlands, or Nuka wasn't truly as forgettable as he thought. An odd concept for a lion like him.

The sun had caught his own attention soon enough. It wouldn't end well if he returned late that morning either, and it was well past the prime time for hunting mice. He would have to go back empty pawed. Nuka tried to console himself by simply planning to avoid the surely still fuming Zira that day, and returning with mice the next morning. But still the memory of Kiara haunted him as he returned to where his family lay, still asleep.


	6. Reconnaissance

** Hello all! I'm sure some of you have noticed that I have also begun posting another fic on my account under the Elder Scrolls category. If you've played the game(s) I ask you go give it a look see, if you aren't interested I also totally understand. Coward in Red will not be taking priority over RTP, nor the other way around. But I had to get CiR out of my head and onto my laptop screen soon, as the idea was burning a hole in my head.**

** I'm so sorry that this update is late. I've been super busy with school and get very stressed out very easily, so I usually turn to naps and games and drawing to relieve the stress rather than writing.**

** I really do enjoy writing, but I enjoy drawing and video games more, so I won't update the fastest. Especially as school becomes more and more demanding of me. But worry not, I will be doing my best to keep things updated, even if it is slow.**

** Thank you! And leave a review if you can please.**

Nuka had made it back before anyone had awoken that morning, managing to scuffle back into his usual sleeping quarters outside the massive termite mound. No one had even noticed he had been gone, as per the usual. Unless he had messed up something or spoken a little too loudly no one gave him any thought. This time, it was something Nuka was quite grateful of.

He managed to avoid Zira for most of the early morning, slinking around her like the beaten cub he felt like on a daily basis. Occasionally he was able to sneak glances at her, to check on her facial expression. But she was unreadable, having the same resting, angry expression she always wore. Nuka had only ever seen her smile at Kovu. The very thought of his adopted brother made his lip curl with jealousy.

"Chosen one…." He spat to himself while no one was around. The very sentence left an awful aftertaste on his tongue. _Like a rotten piece of meat_, Nuka thought. _How fitting_.

But he couldn't be bitter for long, his mother had finally noticed him. Immediately Nuka sat upright, smiling as if nothing was the matter as Zira stalked over to him. Her ever extended claws made her son nervous, as he glanced down at them with every step she took. He wondered if he would feel their sting so soon after the day had begun.

Luck seemed to be on his side. "Nuka, you're on spy duty with Vitani! Bring back some intel on their status after the fire, maybe we'll find something Kovu can work with." She grumbled, turning away from him as fast as she had turned towards him.

There it was again. The mention of the Chosen One. Scar's heir. Nuka held in a snarl of disgust and instead nodded his head, keeping up the happy façade. At least spy duty with his sister meant he would be able to avoid any further punishment that day for whatever folly he might make on accident. Maybe things were less horrible now than Nuka had anticipated.

_But that means that_…. Nuka realized that he would be stepping foot in the Pridelands, running the risk of Kiara seeing him. _If she finds out I'm spying on her, what else will she think?!_ Nuka swallowed the worry building up in his throat. It was also likely she could put together his involvement with the fire. How he had nearly cost her her life. No amount of times he let her step into the Outlands could fix that once it was out.

Why did he care if she found out though? After all, she would eventually figure out that he was also behind the fire. Not to mention the minor detail that his mother had been training him and the pride for the sole purpose of eliminating her family and taking over the Pridelands. So why did it matter that she liked him?

It didn't he told himself, shaking his head to and fro as if to physically throw the thoughts from his mind. His mission required his undivided attention. Zira would not stand for another failure. Vitani and Nuka would have to retrieve some pretty good information if they wanted to avoid her anger, as it wouldn't be so easy the second time around.

Finding Vitani was easy. When she wasn't off on some errand for Zira or scrounging for whatever prey was stupid enough to wander into the Outlands, she was resting under the shade of a sad excuse for a tree near the border to the Pridelands. Dark bags under her eyes indicated that she had not slept very easily, she usually didn't. With the stress of past events, Vitani was worrying about their lack of future plans and how this would affect their mother's mood and behavior. When she was the most angry it wasn't only Nuka she used as a punching bag….

"Hey Tani! Mother wants us to go check on the Pridelander's now that the whole fire thing is over." Nuka informed his younger sister, poking her with a sheathed paw. The golden lioness yawned and scratched under one of her ears, standing up slowly. Her fur was warm and matted from what little nap she had gotten.

Sighing heavily, she said in a tone even more gravely than usual. "Fine, let's be on our way then. Mother doesn't have much patience and the sooner we get back the better." She slunk into the grass, disappearing the second her tail was lost in the golden, dry blades. Nuka followed suit, following with less ease than she, but still hidden in the plains as they made their way into enemy territory once again.

The siblings could not help but feel the sharp claws of jealousy in their stomachs as they made their way through the Pridelands. There was prey and water and everything a lion could ever need a plenty, while they had to suffer on a daily basis for s crime they hadn't committed. Nuka's ears twitched with guilt as well, as it soon began to overpower the green monster within him. It was his own father that had once brought ruin to these lands. These lands that Nuka had been born in, when they were gray and dry, much like the Outlands they were confined to now.

Nuka had lost his train of thought mulling over this fact, and ran into Vitani as she stopped and ducked down lower. Looking back at him with a harsh glare, she hissed under her breath, "Pay attention idiot, look over there!" She motioned with her head. Keeping low, Nuka peeked over the grass where Vitani had pointed.

Walking their way towards what Nuka thought was the direction of the local waterhole were two lionesses. One Nuka did not recognize, and the other Kiara, chatting incessantly with her pridemate. He moved a smidge closer in order to overhear the potentially invaluable words of their conversation.

"I just don't know what went wrong Sabini. I couldn't catch anything last night. It was like I snuck out for nothing!" Kiara groaned, shaking her head to and fro with frustration. "I'm going to have to sneak out again tonight to try again." She said curtly, pinning her ears back in anger.

Nuka felt himself smile, and the shame and jealousy be replaced with excitement. She would be out in secret again. He could, potentially, see her again that night. He had to muster up all his self control not to celebrate there and then, continuing to listen to the conversation between the two.

"Kiara are you sure? There are other ways you could be going about this. And this plan of your's is bound to go south eventually if you keep doing this. Do you want to end up with an even worse punishment?" Sabini pointed out. Nuka furrowed his brow at this. Her advice was sound, but Nuka was hoping that this opportunity to see Kiara after this would go through.

The princess groaned and rolled her eyes. "What can my dad do? He's already grounded me to Pride Rock indefinitely for a fire popping up out of the blue. What else can he do? Confine me to Pride Rock again. I'm willing to run that risk, especially since I don't see any other opportunity to help prove that I can do things on my own." She growled, keeping her head low, eyes narrowed.

The scrawny lion smiled, knowing that she wouldn't be backing down from her decision. He would just need to make sure that he was out of the Outlands by nightfall unnoticed by anyone as well. It wouldn't be terribly difficult but if he wasn't careful he could run into one of the pride, or worse, his mother.

Not wanting to risk being seen by Kiara and her friend, he returned to where his sister was crouched. She had not overheard the plot between the princess and Sabini, and asked her brother what they had said. Taking this opportunity to cover his tracks, Nuka sputtered out, "Oh! Uh, Kiara apparently isn't allowed to leave Pride Rock after the fire. Simba is keeping her there and she can only leave for water. And it looks like she'll have a chaperone when she does." He rationalized that it wasn't really a lie. He just wasn't telling all of the truth.

Vitani grumbled, crinkling her nose in a snarl. "Mother won't be thrilled but at least it's something. Come on, let's get back before she thinks something has gone wrong and comes looking for us. The less time we're in this place the better!" She whispered, leading her brother back towards the Outlands.


End file.
